SHROUDED IN DARKNESS is a doom metal band from Sweden, who formed in 2021.  They haven't wasted any time putting out their first full length album, "Abyssum Abyssus Invocat." This is a doom metal album straight through—so much in fact that I doubt anyone who likes the genre would even enjoy this in the slightest.  That isn't necessarily a bad thing per say because this means hardcore doom fanatics (like myself) will be impressed by what is on display here. I'm not sure if this album is telling a story or if there is a central theme to the lyrics at all but, at least musically, this is an album that builds upon itself.  Each song carries over some of the same musical themes, such as the keyboards having a very organic and stark atmosphere to them.  The band takes it slow, with every song being a mournful dirge of funeral type proportions.

But it flows well from one track to the next; the meat of the album belongs to tracks two thru seven.  The first song, "We Salute You," serves a brief intro but it goes along well with the first full length song.  The last song is the title track and, honestly, I found it to be underwhelming.  I always expect title tracks to deliver the goods of the album they represent but this one failed to do so; it is mostly just ambient noises and creepy tones which didn't add anything to the album's sound. With that being said, the rest of the album is solid as a rock and dark as a pit. "Abyssum Abyssus Inocat" is definitely an album that won't improve your mood or make your gray skies bright. Simply put, this is one mournful, pitiful sounding album and I mean that in a good way.

After the intro, "Under The Weeping Sky," lays down an impenetrable blanket of keys and what sounds like could be an actual organ.  The bass soon joins-and what incredible bass it is.  Mike drops the hammer every second with slow, deep tones that are as heavy as the guitar, which seems to be regulated to solos and interesting melodic sections such as the one around the 3:50 mark.  It is an interesting approach because it allows the song to sound both filling and yet expansive.  This is indicative of the album as a whole and while that might make the songs sound similar to each other, the song writing is interesting enough to grab a hold of attention spans.

"Thrill Of Fantasy," carries with the same keys as the previous track but this time around the drums are more energetic and the guitar a little denser and even more far out.  In this early in the album, I could tell that the foundation laid from the album's very beginning will be built upon further as these songs move along. At times, it almost seems like each song is the same but the tracks represent a different interpretation of whatever theme it has going on.   As each song ends and another begins, different dimensions and pieces are picked along with it, such as the use of choirs, melodic guitar passages, and even some killer solos.  "Ad Inferos," is an example of what I'm talking about; it contains many of these elements and puts them together in ways the other tracks didn't.  I couldn't find much information online about the album's compositions but it would be interesting to see if I'm close.

With "Abyssum Abyssus Invocat," SHROUDED IN DARKNESS have released a cleverly written and well thought out album that requires several listens to truly absorb it all.  It won't be for everyone but it is a real treat and a solid debut album for those who get it.